


A Love Spell Gone Awry

by psychicdreams



Series: Love Spell Series [1]
Category: xxxHoLic
Genre: Drama, M/M, Romance, brief gender swap, spell goes wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-19
Updated: 2007-01-19
Packaged: 2018-07-10 17:52:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6998494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychicdreams/pseuds/psychicdreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a love spell gone awry changes Doumeki into a girl, he has no choice but to go to any lengths to remove it. But can he overcome Watanuki's prejudice and antagonism to convince his rival that he really is the key to it his solution?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Wow, a really old story, but I liked it nonetheless.

The only sound in the room was that of laughter. It was unstoppable, like a force of nature, and rang throughout the rooms like tidal waves. It riddled in the wallpaper, almost shook the little odds and ends of tables. It was piercing and somehow so bright that it invited others to join in.

However, Doumeki did not see what was so funny.

He watched as Watanuki collapsed onto the floor, unable to stop laughing. In fact, the archer was surprised the boy had anymore air in his lungs left to breathe with, much less laugh. He tapped his foot with irritation on the floor and crossed his arms awkwardly over his chest, but nothing fazed the boy. His glasses were even wet with tears as they streamed down his face.

"OI, stop that!" he hissed, hating how his voice sounded, which only seemed to make Watanuki laugh harder.

"I-I-I-I c-c-c-can't." From the way Watanuki clutched at his sides, he could only guess how much the bespectacled boy's stomach must hurt, as he had been laughing, guffawing really, for the past twenty minutes.

"I don't believe this…" he muttered and suffered in silence.

**_An hour later_ **

Though Watanuki had a tendency to snigger in fits of giggles, he had mostly calmed down. It didn't help that what he was sitting across from was so very funny. He honestly felt _sorry_ for Doumeki for the first time in his life. No one deserved this, not ever…well, scratch that. Doumeki did deserve this for all he put him through, with his stupid requests for lunches. He blessed whatever occurrence that caused this, for it would forever become a source of joy and amusement for him.

Because Doumeki was a girl.

In fact, a remarkably stunning girl. His hair, while still short, had that right soft texture to it and any girl in their high school would give up anything to have that bust size. Those golden eyes were still the same and powerful, but his nose and jaw weren't so pronounced anymore. His figure had the perfect hourglass shape, with hips to die for, and long, slender legs.

But still…he couldn't help seeing this "girl" still as male Doumeki…trapped in the body of a girl. He snickered some more, but at the warning glance his rival gave him, he made sure not to laugh, though his chest hurt from containing it.

"H-How did this happen?" he stuttered, the suppressed amusement still in his voice.

"A botched love spell," the…girl answered with as little expression as the boy usually had.

"How do you know?"

Watanuki was leveled with a look that while devoid of expression, clearly said that he was an idiot. But for once, it did not fill him with anger. It just couldn't because there was no room in him for anything other than supreme amusement. Doumeki was a girl! He would treasure this moment for the rest of his life.

"I've had enough love spells cast my way to know. Whoever did this was completely inept, however, and had the very wrong effect."

"I'll say," he added before dropping his head on his arms on the table and laughing as hard as the moment he'd opened the door. _Hitsuzen_ or not, for whatever reason, he had _known_ that it had been Doumeki. He had never once doubted that this was anyone but the archer.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked, once he could control his laughter. "Do you know how to take it off?"

Here, it seemed Doumeki hesitated. "It can be taken off, but it'll take time. At least a week before I can get all the preparations settled."

He bit his lip to keep from laughing again. "Oh? And what are you going to do during this? What about your parents and school?"

Doumeki didn't say anything for a long moment. "Both of my parents ignore the supernatural since my grandparents died. If they saw me like this, I'm not sure what they would do, but they would hardly keep it a secret I was turned into a girl. As for school…I talked with a cousin of mine and she suggested that I say that I was her and that I went to visit her and she came down instead for the week I need."

Watanuki found this all absurdly funny and fascinating. "So where are you going to stay?"

"Here."

Suddenly his amusement vanished. "WHAT?"


	2. Chapter 2

It had taken nearly four hours for Doumeki to convince Watanuki to let him stay and he could only attribute his success to the fact that the bespectacled boy loved to see him as a girl and laugh. He himself didn't see what was so funny about it. It was annoying, for one. This female body was a killer on him. It was so awkward and going to the bathroom almost defeated him until he'd figured it out. And he'd never ask…well, with something less _embarrassing_ he might ask Reilin, his cousin. They'd always been relatively close but rarely got to see each other. He was glad she'd never actually _see_ him like this, since she'd be worse than Watanuki about never letting him forget it.

He stared at his female reflection and frowned. There was no way he'd be wearing the girl's uniform. He didn't care if it was against regulations or not, he would not stoop that low. If Watanuki saw him in the girl's uniform, he'd never live it down.

The brush went through his hair a few times and set it down on the bathroom sink as he finished up the last few buttons on his uniform. The shirt was a whole lot tighter now with those damn breasts. He gripped them briefly, pushing this way and that, and finally decided that he didn't like them at all. Too unwieldy to be of any use and he dreaded gym class that day. Many boys would give anything to be in the girl's locker room, but he'd much prefer to not be. He was not that interested in girls. In fact, the only one he was interested in was Watanuki.

The introspection caused him to pause as he thought about himself. In all honestly, he couldn't say that he was gay or straight. He had no interest in _either_ sex, really. The only one that had ever caught his eye was Watanuki and he was a boy.

"Hurry up! We'll be late! I swear, you must be turning into a girl mentally too!"

His eye twitched at the laughing jibe and he left the bathroom to grab his bag. He was glad that nobody in his school would ever have met Reilin, since they couldn't have been more different. Reilin was bouncy and loved martial arts. She was always studying combat and practicing her moves with a vigor that would leave any normal person breathless.

As he walked down the street with Watanuki, drawing more eyes than usual, he noticed he was _still_ taller than the bespectacled boy, and he was grateful that at least one thing had been physically kept.

He knew today was going to be bad when he was almost instantly accosted by one of the teachers, asking him why he wasn't wearing the girl's uniform. It took quite a bit of his persuasion to convince the man that he didn't see fit to get one since he was only on a short exchange with his "cousin" for a week.

Honestly, why did this happen on a _school week?_ The preparations were hardly going to be easy and he didn't really need the extra school complications. He glanced at the classroom Watanuki was entering before heading to his own. If he ever wanted to return to being a boy, he was going to have to succeed.

**_Lunchtime_ **

Himawari seemed to love having a girl in their group and Doumeki did not miss the sheer amount of girls that were always around him and gaggling about how "cool" the "new girl" was. Even with this strange, new female body, he still excelled at sports and that seemed enough to make his own female fanclub, which was the last thing he needed. And damn, his uniform shirt had always been somewhat loose before, but now he could barely fit into it. Stupid breasts.

He glanced at Watanuki, talking as much as he did as he was a boy, which meant nothing. His stoicism as a girl seemed to attract even more girls than it ever did as a boy, strangely enough. He pursed his lips together as he excused himself to find some privacy to think, not missing the smirking look in Watanuki's eyes as they followed him.

It was going to take every inch of willpower he had, since Watanuki was the key to returning to normal. In fact, Watanuki was the only thing that he needed to break the damn love spell that went awry. The solution was simple, or so many would say: all you had to do was kiss the one you loved and it would break…but the one you loved had to love you back. If he didn't get it broken by the end of the week, he'd be stuck like this for the rest of his life.

Doumeki understood why the deadline, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Even if the love-spell had gone correctly, it was not intended to make love at first sight. It was intended to speed things up by giving the caster a whole week to capture the target's heart. At the end of the week, if they had managed to succeed, the spell would be in place permanently and they would always be in love. If they failed, the spell would never work on them again and they would lose all chance, unless they managed to have that someone fall in love with them naturally.

The archer reaffirmed his vow that he was going to make Watanuki fall in love with him by the end of the week, but he would not resort to the same love-spell that was cast on him, even if it meant being stuck in this female body forever. He loved Watanuki fully and without reservations and he would not settle for anything less in return, especially not something that induced those feelings unnaturally.

**_After school_ **

He stared at the archers from a distance, knowing he dared not even take up a bow in the club until he was back to normal. It would seem like too much of a coincidence for "Reilin" to suddenly be able to do all the exact same things that "Shizuka" could do. But that didn't mean he couldn't still use his skills to protect Watanuki on that job Yuuko had for them tonight.

Doumeki turned and made his way out of the school and to the park where the witch and Watanuki waited. Watanuki snickered behind his hand, but Yuuko didn't even seem surprised at his appearance, which in turn, _he_ wasn't surprised about. The witch didn't let on nearly as much as she knew. Her eyes seemed knowing as she glanced at Watanuki, as if she knew what he was planning on doing the whole week.

"I can help you, if you wish it," she offered quietly so Watanuki wouldn't hear, a smug smile on her lips the whole time.

"No. I will do this on my own."

She seemed quite satisfied by that answer. "That's what I thought you'd say. That's why you don't need my shop." She turned from him and raised her voice to include the sniggering bespectacled boy. "Now, you're job tonight is really rather difficult, so be prepared. You are going to this address and are to exorcise the spirit that possesses the building. It will not be an easy task, as the spirit has been there for decades now and is quite settled. Force may be necessary."

Doumeki gripped his bow harder as Watanuki looked at the address and nodded. He was glad of the night. At least it hid his flush of embarrassment as a passing businessman, out late for a midnight "venture", raised his eyebrows in admiration of his new figure. His teeth gritted and he snatched Watanuki's arm, dragging the boy behind him as he strode down the street. "Come on, let's get this over with."

"Hey, hold on a second! I can walk on my own!"

Behind them, Yuuko smiled to Mokona. "Do you think he'll succeed?"

Mokona smiled. "Of course! Doumeki-kun has a lot of determination."

"And Watanuki is already half in love with him as it is."

They laughed and turned to go back to the Witch's shop.

Meanwhile, even with Doumeki as a girl, that did not stop the companions arguing. By the time they finished the job, the archer's head was hurting from how hard he had been trying. If only it had been spring break or just _something_ so that the only thing he had to concentrate on was Watanuki and not school, acting like a girl, or spirits, or Yuuko.

The spirit in fact had been a young woman, ironically enough, and she had refused all entreaties by Watanuki. It was the first time in his life that he'd had a conversation through Watanuki with the spirit, as she seemed intent on being drawn to him since he was a "woman" and could "understand" her better. He hadn't been able to see or hear her, but Watanuki had grudgingly become the "translator".

"At least you were useful for once," the bespectacled boy muttered as they entered his apartment for the night.

"When am I not useful?" he retorted, taking off his shoes with an inward sigh. He needed some meditation or something to calm him, because today had been very, very taxing. At least it had gotten to the point that very rarely would Watanuki look at him and burst out laughing. It meant that he at least was either getting used to him or realizing the severity of the situation. Probably the former, knowing Watanuki.

"You're never useful!" the boy spat back and stomped to his bedroom. A moment later, the door slammed and Doumeki sighed. This was going to be very hard indeed. He collapsed full out on his stomach on his own futon, in the spare bedroom that Watanuki had lent him, but he couldn't relax like that, not with the damn breasts all lumpy and stuff.

He rolled onto his back and sighed, staring at the ceiling in a despondent way. Would he ever succeed? Then he nearly hit himself. It was only the first damn day! It was no reason to be discouraged so soon! He stood, changing out of the over-tight uniform shirt and crawling back into bed to sleep, too exhausted after today to meditate.

Doumeki was so sound asleep, he did not see the figure that darkened the doorway later that night. Watanuki merely stared at his rival as "she" slept and for once, he did not feel like laughing. Unbeknownst to Doumeki, he had watched him throughout the day and knowing what to look for, could tell how stressful it had been for the archer. As much as he would never say it, he loved the bow and he had seen the faint flash of longing as Doumeki had watched the practice field from a distance after school.

"Tch," he muttered to himself, grabbing one of Doumeki's spare uniform shirts to take back with him to his bedroom. He had a sewing kit somewhere in the apartment to loosen those seams so it wouldn't be so tight…


	3. Chapter 3

The jacket was sitting on the chair in the kitchen when Doumeki woke up and Watanuki could feel his ears burn as that stare burrowed into him. "What is it?" he snarled as he put their lunches together, ignoring the faint shaking his hands were doing. He wasn't used to people staying in his apartment, especially not a girl Doumeki.

"What's this?"

He glanced over his shoulder as Doumeki lifted up the jacket and his jaw dropped a little. "Uh, Doumeki?" He cleared his throat as the boy—no, girl looked at him in question. Pursing his lips, his cheeks burning a little bit in embarrassment for Doumeki, he asked somewhat delicately. "Have you ever…had a girlfriend before?"

Doumeki tilted his head, letting the jacket fall back on the chair and Watanuki averted his gaze from the bare-chested girl. It was fine, he supposed, for a man to go around without a shirt in an apartment, even though he wouldn't recommend it, but for a girl…And it was strange to contemplate that he wasn't even the slightest bit aroused. Was it because that beneath that girl body, he knew that Doumeki was a boy?

"No."

That made his eyebrows hitch up in surprise and he looked back at him before he could help it. "You mean…never ever? Not once?"

"No. Why?"

Watanuki couldn't help pressing, forgetting about their lunches. "So…you've never been kissed before either? Not once?"

Doumeki's eyes narrowed. "No. Why?"

For some reason, he found this to be extremely strange. Doumeki to have never had a girlfriend, never kissed anyone…He was the most popular boy in the school! He could have his pick of anyone! His own eyes narrowed. "You aren't…by any chance… _gay_ , are you?"

There was a long silence. "No. And again, I ask why."

This was a puzzle that Watanuki found himself probing and he came to Doumeki's side, ignoring how Doumeki ignored the invasion of his personal space. "So if you're not gay and you can have your pick of any girl in the school, why have you never had a girlfriend? You don't have like some _defect_ going on, do you?"

His rival looked away briefly, but no expression crossed his—her face. "I don't have any defect, no."

"Then why _don't_ you? In all honesty, Doumeki."

But he never did get his answer, since Doumeki shifted and those large, new breasts brushed against his chest and reminded him of why he was asking. He leapt away from his rival and back to the counter near the lunch boxes.

"Why were you asking?"

Watanuki cleared his throat. "Tell me you didn't go to school yesterday with just wearing your shirt and nothing else under it."

"No, of course not," he answered and Watanuki breathed a sigh of relief until he continued, "I had my undershirt on."

"Gah, you are so dumb! No _wonder_ people were staring at you!"

Doumeki's silence was eloquent enough, as he had seemed to have had enough of asking why. Watanuki rubbed his eyes. He'd never had a girlfriend before either, or been kissed, but at _least_ he knew _some_ things.

"You went to school, in a girl's body, without a _bra_! You do realize what this means, right? You have to wear a bra if you're a girl. It's like…" He waved his hands uselessly in the air as he tried to enunciate what his thoughts, "like a _rule_ or something!"

"I'm not buying a bra. It's humiliating." The last two words that Doumeki muttered Watanuki was sure he was not meant to hear and he inexplicably felt sorry and upset for him. It wasn't that he _liked_ him or anything. But still…this had to be unreasonably hard on him.

"Can't you just sneak one from your mom?" he asked lamely. "If we leave now, we can probably make it there and then leave in time for school."

The archer sighed and grabbed his jacket. "I suppose I have to." He paused and glanced down at the jacket again. "By the way…did you sew this? It seems bigger than before."

Watanuki's cheeks flushed and he turned back to making their lunches. "I just let out a few seams, is all. No big deal. Now scram. Get dressed. We have to move."

There was a bit of silence before, "Thank you" and steps led back to the room he had lent the archer. Why was he feeling a flush of happiness going through him and he was still blushing?

Getting into Doumeki's mother's bedroom was a total trip, especially since as Watanuki had been warned, she stayed home at the shrine all day except until the middle of the day when she went shopping for dinner and by then, it would be too late.

They crawled through the window and crept down the hall as quietly as they could, having a few heart stopping moments when footsteps approached and faded away. Doumeki led the way and it was the first time Watanuki could recall being in his right mind when he was in the shrine.

The bedroom of Doumeki's parents had a warm feel, but a particular smell that made their noses crinkle before they could even think about the action. It was that "parent's" smell. The smell that told you and reminded you that they had had _sex_ to conceive you and then sent you into fits of convulsion at the thought.

Wanting nothing more than to just get out, they both immediately headed for the nearest dresser. Grabbing the first bra they found, they almost immediately made exits through the actual walls as the footsteps of Doumeki's mother were nearing the bedroom. Doumeki didn't even think twice about jumping out the second story window, but Watanuki hesitated on the other hand. Frantically Doumeki was gesturing him to jump and it was either risk breaking his neck or being found out by his rival's mother stealing her bra then explaining that he had to because her son had been changed by a screwed-up love spell into a girl and was currently staying in his apartment.

He'd rather break his neck.

The air whistled around his ears as he jumped, but he never hit hard ground. There was a faint 'oof' sound as Doumeki caught him, stumbling but not dropping him. It was awkward to be pressed against those large breasts and he immediately scrambled from the boy—no, girl's hold.

For a breathless moment, they waited, but nothing happened. Quickly, they made their way to the school, lest they be late, but Watanuki tried to make sure that Doumeki didn't run since his new breasts juggled in a way that would attract too many stares. It would be so much _more_ humiliating than buying a bra, which was currently stuffed into Watanuki's bag.

They made it in enough time to find an empty closet for Doumeki to undress and wear the bra. Watanuki kept glancing at his watch as the seconds ticked off. Surely he knew _how_ , right? Slowly he shook his head. No, this was Doumeki who came to school braless yesterday.

Glancing feverishly down the empty hall, he slipped into the closet to find Doumeki merely staring at the bra in his hands. He looked at Watanuki as he entered and was it his imagination or was there a slightly lost expression on his face? Definitely had to be his imagination.

"I figured you wouldn't know how."

He stared at it himself trying to figure out how it worked before the bell rang. "Um…well, obviously this goes here…" he muttered and walked around behind Doumeki to clasp it in the back around his stomach. He peered around the front in annoyance as Doumeki did nothing. "Well, do something! Put your arms through the straps, we don't have all day!"

He moved to stand in front of Doumeki and with burning cheeks, he began to help push up the bra to cover the new girl's chest, inevitably forcing him to cup them to make sure they fit right. He'd never been so embarrassed for both of them in his life and he at once made note of the fact that he was not the least bit aroused. Strange.

The rest of the school day was uneventful, but he could not forget their escapades of that morning. Doumeki was _really_ going to need his help. And that jacket fit much better with the seams let out to accommodate the larger breasts.

At lunch, Doumeki just dropped down to lay on the grass and stared at the sky and Watanuki practically had force feed him the lunch he had prepared. Himawari hadn't joined them and the silence between them wasn't tense because the bespectacled boy had too much to think about to be antagonistic. That he didn't react physically…did that mean he _was_ gay or just that he wasn't aroused because he knew that in that female body, it was Doumeki? It _had_ to be the latter.

"I feel tired."

"Eh?" Watanuki blinked and looked down at Doumeki, just relaxing like some limp slug.

"I feel tired," the girl repeated.

"What sort of tired?"

"Worn out, I guess. Being a girl is hard."

Watanuki set his elbows on his knees and contemplated aloud, "I don't think it's hard for a girl if they were born a girl. It's probably just hard for you 'cause you're a guy in a girl's body. And since you've never even had a girlfriend before, you're fumbling around with aspects you'd never even thought to question, like a bra." Doumeki was staring at him and he flushed in anger. He suddenly felt supremely stupid for reaching out and expressing his feelings to Doumeki, to try to show some sympathy when it obviously wasn't appreciated. "Screw you, Doumeki," he muttered under his breath and turned his face away.

Until Doumeki sat up and turned it back. Those golden eyes were as deep and full of "boy" as they had ever been, even if he was trapped in that girl's body, and he found himself quaking a little under the gaze for no apparent reason. "I didn't know you gave it so much thought. Thank you, for all the help you've given me."

Was Doumeki reaching out to him as well? In a friendly sort of gesture, to express his feelings too? It was the most emotional, and it wasn't even really all that emotional, thing he'd ever said. And he'd never thanked him before for anything, really, but he'd already said thank you twice that day.

What would have happened, what Watanuki would have said as he opened his mouth, was lost in the moment as Himawari, followed by a gaggle of girls, interrupted and surrounded Doumeki with their chatter.

His cheeks flushing with embarrassment and confusion, Watanuki stood and almost fled to seek some privacy while Doumeki could only watch in consternation and sadness.


	4. Chapter 4

Doumeki didn't think of himself as a jealous person by nature. In fact, he'd had nothing to be jealous about in his life. It was not until Watanuki had entered, or rather crash landed, into his world that everything had become upset and changed. Ever since that boy had shown up, he began feeling things he'd never really felt before: anger, love, jealousy…they all were woken up by that strange boy in glasses.

So when he saw those two figures standing in the distance talking, his anger had to fight with his jealousy for dominance. Watanuki and Totoro. His fist clenched and the urge to just run and pull them apart nearly defeated him. Gritting his teeth, he began to stalk in their direction, not quite wanting to be noticed until he heard what they were talking about.

Totoro had never made it a secret to the school that he was gay. Nor had he kept it a secret that he was somewhat lecherous and constantly bragged in the boy's locker room about his conquests. Everyone knew he was gay…except Watanuki, apparently. Even if it seemed like they were innocently talking, Doumeki didn't think that Totoro had anything as simple in mind for later.

"As I was saying, I've always actually wanted to talk to you, but with Doumeki-san always around, I didn't want to approach."

Doumeki did not miss the surprised look that came over Watanuki's face as he hid in the shadows of a nearby building. School was out and Watanuki had obviously been heading home before Totoro had accosted him.

"Why would Doumeki stop you?"

Totoro feigned surprise. "Well, aren't you and he…? You know, dating?"

Even from the distance he was at, he could see Watanuki flush. "Of course not! Hell no! Why would you think that?! I would never, ever date Doumeki!"

The archer winced, his heart breaking a little and his resolve wavered, before he forced himself to calm. He had known that there would be problems, obstacles, to deal with before Watanuki could love him and one of those obstacles was the boy's reflex action of "hating" him. But even if he could never love him, he would not leave Watanuki to someone like Totoro, who didn't care if a boy was straight or gay, so long as he got what he wanted.

Sometime during his introspection, he had lost track of the conversation until he picked it up again with a painful beat of his heart. He had to do something and fast, as Totoro was asking to study with him, which could only mean one thing would happen during the study session.

"It's too bad Doumeki-san is away at his cousin's, otherwise I'd invite him to." Totoro gave a charming smile. "But as it is, why don't we just study together?"

"Watanuki has work every day after school, so he can't."

Both boys jumped in surprise at Doumeki's sudden entrance and he almost smiled. He could be exceptionally quiet if he wanted and right then, he wanted it. Watanuki was his to protect and damn if he wasn't going to do it.

"Well, on the week-"

Watanuki shut up as Doumeki leveled him with an almost dangerous look, even if his expression didn't change. Totoro visibly deflated, eyes studying "Reilin" before shrugging, as if Watanuki wasn't worth fighting for. The boy really was an idiot then, because Doumeki couldn't imagine anyone worth fighting for _more_.

"What the hell was that all about?" Watanuki demanded as Totoro was out of earshot and they were walking to Yuuko's shop.

Doumeki's face didn't change, but Watanuki could not forget the look that had been sent his way when he'd been nice and tried to offer the weekends to study with Totoro. His lips thinned and he glared at his rival. "It's all _your_ fault that everyone thinks I'm gay now and dating you!" he yelled, heedless of the people in the street. "Just by being in your presence, you make life harder for me! It's probably because Himawari thinks we're dating too that she hasn't had the courage to ask me out!"

The archer pulled his fingers out of his ears when Watanuki wound down and there was a tightness around his mouth and eyes that the bespectacled boy did not miss. He blinked in surprise, but something in him told him not to comment on it. He'd learned to listen to that little voice since working with Yuuko, because if he didn't, he usually got into a lot of scrapes.

"Who cares what other people think? It just means they're wrong, that's all."

"Your tone of voice says you wish they were right," he muttered, looking away and missing Doumeki's wince.

He slashed off another day and frowned at the little mini calendar he had decided to keep for the week. Four days left. He hadn't realized how quickly a week passed, nor how used to this female body he was becoming. Biting his tongue, Doumeki sat down on the edge of the futon and wondered what on earth he could do to catch Watanuki's eye. Nothing seemed to have changed: Watanuki was always still yelling at him, and school kept getting in the way.

What he wouldn't give to just kiss that boy and just hold him. To know what it would feel like to touch and fondle that pale skin and run his hands through his hair. But not in this body! He dropped down to lay on the bed, thumping his head against the pillow several times. He wanted to kiss him and love him and hold him as a _boy_ , not a girl.

"Doumeki?"

The archer blinked and lifted his head as the door opened a crack and Watanuki poked his head in. "Yes?" He sat up as Watanuki entered, obviously having just finished getting ready for bed that night. He looked so adorable in his pajamas, even if they were just the standard cotton kind, but he didn't look nearly as sexy without his glasses.

"It's nothing, nevermind."

"What is it?" he asked, standing up. It couldn't be a spirit, not with him staying in the house and all the wards that Watanuki himself had set up. And somehow he doubted it was a burglar, and the boy didn't seem panicked in the slightest of any of those possibilities.

"I was just wondering how you were feeling, is all."

And though the words were tinted with that same annoyance he had gotten used to directed his way, it still had that awkward quality. It was like lunch the previous day, when they'd had that moment of Watanuki finally trying to reach out to him. His hope renewed, the faintest of smiles touched his stoic face. Maybe he was finally getting through to Watanuki. He just hoped that right now was not a momentary aberration, or a dream.

"I made some hot chocolate if you want some," the boy added and all but fled the bedroom. Not exactly what he'd have preferred, but still…it was progress all the same. Perhaps having been changed into a girl was what had been needed, to provide the spark to change their relationship.

With that feeling of hope and love, he left his bedroom to follow Watanuki to the kitchen for some hot chocolate.


	5. Chapter 5

Watanuki curled in his bed that night with red cheeks. It was late, he should have been in bed hours ago, but some impulse to make hot chocolate and talk with Doumeki in the kitchen had gripped him and he had ended up heeding to it. Really, it was only because he had wanted hot chocolate and he felt _sorry_ for Doumeki that he invited him and made him another cup.

"Stupid Yuuko!" he hissed. This was all her fault. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have done any of this stuff. He wouldn't be thinking about Doumeki at all and only that him being trapped in a girl's body was funny when he did.

_"How is Doumeki-kun doing with his new body?" Yuuko asked him, reclining in a chair on the porch and watching Watanuki do the laundry._

_Watanuki blinked and peered around the sheets suspiciously. "He's doing fine, I guess. Why?"_

_She sipped her sake with a grin that told him that he was not going to like what she was about to say. "I figured you'd know, seeing as he has a new body, one that you might like. After all, not many boys can fondle breasts while helping someone put a bra on."_

_"How the hell did you know about that?!" he screamed, his cheeks flaming red. "And anyway, I'm not the least bit interested in Doumeki in a girl body!"_

_When she leaned forward with that look in her eyes, he knew he'd walked straight into it. "Ohhh, so you're interested in Doumeki, but with a boy body?"_

_"I AM NOT! I'M NOT INTERESTED IN HIM AT ALL!" He quickly turned back to the laundry to hide his red face, but she wasn't about to let it go, he could tell, when her arms draped around his shoulders and he could feel her breathy words in his ear._

_"Really, Doumeki must be having such a hard time. He's probably really depressed right now, especially with that sort of attitude from you." She clucked her tongue as he listened, suddenly feeling guilty. He'd seen for himself first hand at school how hard Doumeki was having it and yet he was always giving his rival a hard time, even if he deserved it and it was funny._

_"You might find it fun if you decided to be a little nicer to him. What harm could there be in make some hot chocolate, maybe, for him tonight when you get home, hmm? I'm sure he'd be grateful. Very…very…grateful."_

_And then her arms were gone as well as her breathy whisper and she was back in her chair and sipping her sake as if she hadn't done anything strange. He had hoped that would be the end of it, but being Yuuko, she couldn't let things be._

_"Still, Doumeki _is_ attractive, much more so as a boy than a girl. It's no wonder that you're more interested in him as a male."_

_He nearly ripped a sheet that he was hanging up when he heard her and he screamed, "I AM NOT INTERESTED IN DOUMEKI!"_

_She laughed as she saw his red, blushing face and Maru and Moro suddenly popped up out of nowhere and began to chant in their singsong voices, "Watanuki likes Doumeki, Watanuki likes Doumeki!" He nearly had an aneurysm as Mokona dropped on his head and began to add in his voice as well._

_"I'm sure you'll be glad of the day Doumeki is a boy again." That damn voice… "After all, I'm sure you'd like it much better when he has you-"_

_"LEAVE YOUR YAOI IDEAS TO YOURSELF!" He couldn't take it anymore and stormed back into the house only to grab his things and speed from the shop. He'd rather tack on extra work than stay there and listen to Yuuko tease him mercilessly with her yaoi talk. He wasn't interested in Doumeki at all!_

Or so he told himself anyway. He did have to admit that he liked Doumeki being a boy better, from the fact that things were just a whole lot simpler. He could hate his rival in peace then and not have these feelings of feeling sorry for him and wishing he could do something to help.

Watanuki turned on his stomach and buried his burning face in his pillow, trying not to remember Yuuko's jabs. She was only doing it to mess with his head, that was all. She loved to tease him about anything and everything and it must have sent her into fits of giggles when she found out Doumeki was staying with him as a girl. And how she had found out about the bra incident, he would never know or ever dare to ask.

"I hate my life."

"Oi, you okay? You look like you didn't sleep."

"Shut up," he muttered as finished locking the door to the apartment. Stupid dreams, stupid Yuuko, stupid Doumeki, stupid world! He couldn't even remember what he'd been dreaming about, but it had left him feeling both happy and distressed for some reason. It could only have been about stupid Doumeki! He was always giving him no end of trouble, that's what it was!

But apparently even as a girl, Doumeki was a spirit-repeller, because ever since he had started staying in his apartment, he'd never felt the oppressive spirit air surrounding the door anymore. Sometimes he wondered if he could keep Doumeki like a pet, sorta like a guard dog, but then dismissed the idea instantly.

"Seriously, Watanuki. You look like hell."

"Wonder who's fault that is?!" he yelled, glaring at Doumeki as they walked to school. "You kept me up until all hours of the night!"

The stoic girl only blinked and shrugged. "You were the one that invited me."

Watanuki couldn't find a suitable reply to yell, since Doumeki was right. A faint tinge of pink was on his cheeks as he crossed his arms. "What about you?" he muttered, his eyes firmly fixed ahead of him, not even daring to look at his rival.

"What about me?"

"Are you okay?" he stressed, as if the person next to him was a little child and unable to understand complete sentences unless he spoke very, very slowly. He was irritated, yes, though not with Doumeki, really. He honestly didn't mean to give him such a hard time, but it was reflex and sometimes, a lot of fun.

"I'm…feeling better, after last night. Thanks."

The pink deepened a little and he shrugged jerkily. "Don't thank me. I didn't do it for you. I wanted hot chocolate and I was being magnanimous to let you have some. Not like I care whether you feel good or not."

Fingers gripped his chin and he blinked in surprise as his face was turned to look at his rival. His eyes were the same as when they had been at lunch and his insides quaked again. Was Doumeki seeing through his ruse? He wanted to help, it was in his nature, but he didn't want Doumeki to know that. He just…couldn't help helping, but the last thing he wanted was for Doumeki to point it out. Because he still hated him. Yup. Still did. Even if he was drowning in those golden eyes…he still hated him.

"Thank you."

Their lips were so close, those two words whispered breathily against Watanuki's mouth, and it would hardly take barely a centimeter to kiss him. His cheeks were darkening with a blush, but he couldn't pull away. It was that same feeling as that time at lunch, as if he were on the brink of something he didn't understand but knew would feel so wonderful if he could just get over his fear and take the plunge.

"Reilin-chan! Watanuki-kun!"

Watanuki jerked away as fast as he could when Himawari began trotting up to them and he wished his face wasn't burning up with a blush, but the girl didn't seem to notice. Was it his imagination or did Doumeki look at Himawari in annoyance? No, it had to be his imagination, since Doumeki never showed his emotions and why would he feel annoyance? They were just talking…that's all they had been doing. They hadn't been about to kiss. No, never.

"Himawari-chan! Good morning!"

"Let's walk to school together, okay Watanuki-kun? Reilin-chan?"

Watanuki nodded excitedly, but inside, he was consumed with confusion. He glanced at Doumeki as he shrugged those girl shoulders in response to Himawari's question and turned away again, becoming silent as they walked. He could think of nothing to say, which had never happened before.

He listened only lightly to Himawari's chatter about wishing "Doumeki" could be there so that she could talk to "him" too and how fun it would be if "Reilin" and "Doumeki" could reminisce. Doumeki didn't say anything and he figured that was the best idea. The archer was have a hard enough time as it was playing a girl without making a mistake in saying something he shouldn't.

They had reached the school before he even realized it and soon Himawari was waving at Doumeki as they parted for classes. His eyes met Doumeki's briefly and his cheeks flared in a blush before he sped away. Damn that archer, he was always confusing him! It didn't help that the schoolwork was so easy to do, it hardly occupied his mind so he kept probing the strange feelings he had like a tongue going over a sore tooth time and again.

He'd been dreading lunch from that moment on the street going to school and like all things that you dreaded, time sped up so that it would arrive faster. Before he knew it, he was sitting in their usual place, watching as Doumeki approached, alone and away from all the hoards of girls that followed him.

There was a moment of silence as Doumeki took his bento and they began eating. "How's the preparation going to turn back into a boy?" he asked, hoping he sounded nonchalant.

A pause. "I think it's going well."

Watanuki tilted his head. "You never did say. How do you remove the spell anyway? Some sort of charm?"

This time he definitely did not imagine the stillness that surrounded Doumeki, as if he had not expected to be asked that question. Curiously, he leaned forward, invading Doumeki's personal space yet again, to get a better look at his rival's face. It was hard to describe what his face looked like. It wasn't expressionless, but what strange emotion distorted it, he didn't know.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes," he told him in surprise and waited as Doumeki took a deep breath.


	6. Chapter 6

The seconds ticked by as Doumeki sat there, staring at Watanuki. This was the golden opportunity. He couldn't have asked for a better chance to not only know how the boy felt about him, but also to remove this twisted love spell. His hands were shaking a little and he hated how delicate his fingers looked.

"Well, it's simple, really. According to what I've read, all it takes is for me to-" He caught sight of Himawari and a gaggle of girls heading in their direction and he'd never felt such a strong urge to hit something before. Fed up with all the interruptions he'd had over the week, he grabbed Watanuki's arm and dragged him away, even if it meant leaving their lunches behind.

"Hey, what are you doing?! Doumeki!"

He ignored the small hiss from Watanuki and dragged him to a secluded area where they wouldn't be found for a time. He honestly didn't have time to waste anymore. He had two days left to win Watanuki's heart and he could not afford to spend what little time he had left on interruptions.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Doumeki's hand curled into a fist in determination and he crossed his arms. "In order to break the damn spell, I have to kiss the one I love."

Watanuki's expression didn't change and he wondered if the bespectacled boy didn't get it. "So? That's _all_? What's the big deal about that? Go and kiss your mother then! You love her, don't you?"

"It has to be _romantic_ love, idiot."

Flames of anger appeared in Watanuki's deep, sapphire eyes and he crossed his arms over his chest, sniping back, "Fine then. Surely you have someone you have a crush on then! Go and kiss them! It better not be Himawari-chan, though!"

Doumeki had the urge to bang his head repeatedly against a brick wall. Was Watanuki _usually_ this dense? Sure, sometimes it took a few minutes for things to sink in that brain of Watanuki's, but honestly, could he be thicker today? He chewed on his tongue a little, knowing what would eventually happen would make Watanuki go spastic, but what choice did he have?

"It can't be just a crush. They have to love me back in return. And if I don't get it removed by the end of this week, I'll be stuck like this forever."

Those sweet lips pursed as Watanuki seemed to take his time in thinking things over. "Well, you don't have a girlfriend," the boy muttered in thought. "So you won't know for certain who you like will like you back…" He finally shrugged. "Your best bet is to just tell them you love them and see what they say."

For once in his life, Doumeki knew this had to be _hitsuzen_. Watanuki had left it open, had given him a clear path with no excuses, to tell him. He didn't think they would fall in passionate liplock; in fact, he suspected he hadn't succeeded in winning that elusive heart. But at least his feelings would be out in the open and if he were stuck as a girl, then so be it. At least Watanuki would know.

"Fine then." He paused and he could barely hear anything over the rapid beating of his heart and the blood rushing through him with anxiety and nervousness. "Watanuki, I love you."

He counted the seconds as they passed into minutes, his eyes fixed on that shocked face. Slowly, that pale skin heated with the beautiful red of a blush, and he wished he could reach out touch those warm cheeks. His own golden eyes softened, unable to help it, and he whispered again, "I love you, Watanuki."

It seemed to break the spell of silence between them. "IDIOT! WHY WOULD YOU THINK I LOVE YOU! _IDIOT_!"

Doumeki's heart broke as that slim form burst into a run away from him and he knew that his fate was now left in Watanuki's hands. He counted up those small moments they'd had over the week, those moments when they weren't fighting and seemed to touch a deep-seated connection, and hoped they meant enough to look toward his future with hope. What he would do if he had to remain a girl, he didn't know.

"I love you…Watanuki…"

Watanuki didn't even realize where he was going until he'd reached Yuuko's shop in the middle of the day. The witch seemed to be waiting for him on the porch, as if she wasn't surprised he had showed up. She hadn't said anything to hint she knew he might leave early, but there was already two cups of tea sitting next to her. Tea, not sake, and something he did not make.

Suspicious, he approached, trying not to think about Doumeki's confession but unable to stop. "What's going on, Yuuko-san?"

"I figured you'd want some tea after all that running," she told him with a mysterious smile and sipped her own. She said nothing more until he finally decided to sit down and cradle the cup in his hands, staring down into the liquid as if it held all the answers. "He told you, didn't he?"

"Eh?" He blinked and looked up, but she merely lifted her long pipe to her lips, not smoking but just letting her lips run along the edge.

"Doumeki. He told you he loved you, didn't he?"

"How did you know?!"

"Watanuki, _everyone_ knew he loved you." She looked at him, for a brief moment looking kind, as if she felt _sorry_ for him, and then back out at the yard. "You were the only one that never noticed."

"Why'd the hell he pin his hopes on me, huh?" he demanded angrily, trying to drown out the other feelings of embarrassment and why his heart was beating so damn hard even after he'd stopped running. "He's gonna be a damn girl forever!"

"Is he?"

Watanuki looked suspiciously at Yuuko, but she was still looking at the yard. He didn't see anything fascinating about it and figured she was only doing it to look mysterious and impressive. "Yes, he is! Because I don't love him!"

Finally, she looked at him fully and her face was serious. She leaned forward until their noses were inches apart. "Are you absolutely sure, Watanuki?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

Her hand touched his chest softly and she didn't draw back. Her burgundy eyes stared into his and made him quake for a different reason, as if he feared she'd find out something secret he'd been hiding. "Then why is your heart still racing? Why is your pulse pounding in your ears? Why is your face so red?" She paused and asked seriously, "Why did you try to help Doumeki? Why did you go to all the trouble to help him get a bra from his mother's room? With all this, are you sure you do not love him?"

He didn't question how she knew these things. She just knew them. His cheeks were still flaming red and he looked away. She seemed satisfied then and leaned back to sip her tea again. "Have you been questioning yourself lately, Watanuki?"

"If you know all the things you said, then you know the answer to that," he muttered, going back to stare at his cup.

As if she was pleased she was right, she smiled smugly. "I doubt Doumeki ever asked to be put in a female body, but it certainly is one way of getting your attention, is it not?"

The boy who saw spirits was barely listening. Did he love Doumeki? How would that have happened? True, he'd been questioning his feelings lately and there _were_ those special moments…but was that love? He had just thought it had been him finally trying to reach out and be friends with Doumeki. He hadn't been looking to fall in love!

"Go, Watanuki."

Watanuki blinked and looked up again, drawn out of his introspection. "What?"

She wasn't looking at him again. In fact, she'd set down her teacup and stood, moving to go back inside her shop. "Go find Doumeki and tell him what you feel." The unspoken 'before it's too late' resounded between them as she shut the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Doumeki hadn't expected to see Watanuki back at the apartment, but then he asked himself where else the boy would be. There were sounds in the kitchen and after taking off his shoes and dropping his bag in the spare bedroom, he followed the smells. Watanuki's cooking never failed to impress him and he swallowed a tad dryly as he entered.

"Oi," he said softly.

Watanuki's back stiffened a little, but otherwise he didn't turn around. There was a slight pause in his movements before he went back to cooking. "Set the table."

He frowned a little, wondering what Watanuki was thinking, but at least he hadn't kicked him out. That was a bonus. It didn't take long to finish and he stood there, still watching that back and saying nothing. As if he couldn't stand it much longer, that cool voice, which strangely held no emotion, said, "Go clean up for dinner."

What Doumeki didn't see as he left was the beat red face of Watanuki and his trembling hands.

Dinner couldn't have been more tense and several times Watanuki opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't make the words come out. Doumeki was silent, as if he thought that Watanuki didn't want to talk. In truth, _all_ Watanuki wanted to talk about was the confession. He'd never been confessed to before by anyone, with the exception of the Zashiki Warashi, and he found this unreasonable desire to hear Doumeki say over and over again how much he loved him.

"What are you going to do?" he managed at last around the obstruction of his throat when Doumeki picked up his dishes to bring to the sink. He felt rooted to his chair and couldn't bring himself to look at Doumeki's face. Honestly, he _was_ more attractive as a boy. And that thought sent a flare of blush over his cheeks.

"That depends on you," was the answer and then Doumeki was gone. He heard the spare bedroom door open and close and he wanted to stand up and follow. To demand, to ask, to plead, to confess, to do something to ease the tightness in his chest, but he couldn't. He felt bound by a fear that he couldn't even place why.

"I'm such a coward," he muttered and dropped his face in his hands before resigning himself to bed.

The next morning was tense and they didn't speak. Watanuki was even more conscious now of the time limit. There was only one day left before Doumeki would be condemned to be in that girl body forever. He wondered, for the first time, who had cast the love spell meant for Doumeki. And if Yuuko ever suggested it had been him, he'd kill her by taking away her sake. She couldn't live without the stuff, after all.

The gates of the school loomed before them and his hand shook when he briefly lifted it, letting it fall back to his side, unable to reach out and touch Doumeki's arm as he walked beside him. His feet even paused, noticing Doumeki didn't. He swallowed thickly, realizing they didn't have a lot of time left, either for the love spell or school.

"Doumeki!"

He winced, glad no one was around to hear him, and then his cheeks burned as Doumeki turned around. That expressionless face stared at him, waiting, and whatever resolve he'd had wavered and died. He just couldn't say _anything_ to him, either a denial or an affirmative.

"Never mind," he whispered, running past Doumeki and into the school. He waited to feel the catch of that hand on his arm, hoped that Doumeki would just drag him into a kiss and spare him from his ordeal of finding a way to say all the complicated things he was feeling, but it never happened. All he felt were those golden eyes staring into his back as he fled.

"I'm a coward," he whispered again as he dropped into his desk chair. Even Himawari's chatter couldn't penetrate the daze of self-recrimination all through class. He took notes dutifully, but he didn't even pay attention to what he was writing.

"Watanuki-kun!" He blinked and looked up, seeing Himawari's worried eyes. "Is there something wrong, Watanuki-kun? You haven't been yourself. And your cheeks have been red since you walked in."

"Oh, it's nothing, Himawari-chan," he told her, trying and failing to sound as enthusiastic as he usually was.

She peered over his shoulder at his notes and suddenly her face cleared of confusion. Her expression became soft and understanding and her arms wrapped around his shoulders. "Oh, I didn't realize at all. Forgive me, Watanuki-kun," she whispered in his ear as she hugged him.

His heart stopped for a very, very long moment and he was full of even more confusion. Did Himawari just realize after so long his feelings? But was it too late? What about Doumeki? What did he even want anymore?

"I didn't realize you missed Doumeki so much. It must be so hard to be away from someone you love so deeply."

"HUUUUUH? Where dooo-oh." He glanced down at his notes and flushed in complete embarrassment and shock. All the notes he thought he'd been taking…the entire page was filled with the words "I love Doumeki" or something he liked about his rival, like "I love Doumeki's eyes."

Yuuko would no doubt say it was _hitsuzen_ or his subconscious at work. Himawari let him go and dragged a chair near his desk and for the first time, he realized they were alone in the classroom. Lunch must already be underway. One day left…one day left…

"How long have you two been dating?"

"Um…"

As if she correctly interpreted his one syllable as if it were a sentence, her eyes widened. "Oh, you mean you haven't told him yet?" She paused and her eyes were bright with innocent curiosity. "How long have you known your feelings?"

"Um…"

"You mean you only realized them when he was gone? Oh, Watanuki-kun! How romantic, and how sad! But don't get so discouraged, he'll be coming back after tomorrow. One more day, right?"

Watanuki wasn't sure _what_ to do or think. In some ways, Himawari was so very accurately right that it frightened him and at the same time, she was so completely wrong. How she could just come to these conclusions with that single word that he barely managed to get out to her was amazing.

"When are you going to tell him? If he's going to be at school tomorrow like he's supposed to be, he'll have to come back sometime tonight. Are you going to meet him on the train when he does? It would be so romantic to confess your feelings at night, under the stars." Her eyes went starry-eyed and she stared into space, as if imagining Watanuki confessing in such a perfect way.

"Um…"

"Kunogi-san! A teacher is calling for you."

Himawari pouted at the girl, who could only shrug, and turned back to him. "I'm sorry, Watanuki-kun, I have to go. But I'll see you later. Lunchtime is only half over, so go ahead and eat while you can!" She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Good luck when you tell him!"

"Um…."

But he was alone in seconds. He sighed, and glanced back down to his note page. Well, he'd been completely spaced out…maybe this was his subconscious way of telling him what he felt. Which meant that all he had to do now was screw up the courage to tell Doumeki. His face was still flushed and he suddenly hurried down to their lunch area. Now…he'd do it now while he still had courage.

"He's…not here…" he muttered in shock, seeing the area they usually ate lunch at empty. His heart clenched in fear. Where was Doumeki?


	8. Chapter 8

It didn't matter that it was in the middle of school. Once Watanuki had searched the whole school building and not found Doumeki, he had resolved that his rival, his love, his whatever had left. He chewed his lip as he stood on the sidewalk of a four-way intersection. Where would Doumeki have gone? Back to the temple? Not likely in his current body. Back to the apartment?

He skidded around corners and pounded up the stairs, but when the door was locked and didn't yield to his touch, he knew that Doumeki wasn't there. Why was he so frantic? It wasn't as if Doumeki was going to _leave town_ or anything…right? He tripped down the stairs and if it hadn't been for his landlord catching him at the last moment, he would have broken his neck. He ignored the questions cast after him and was still running as fast he could.

The park. He'd try the park next. They were always meeting there when Yuuko wanted to see them. Cars honked as he paid no attention to signal lights, and it was a miracle he managed to make it to the park in one piece.

"Doumeki!" he called, spotting that familiar and yet unfamiliar figure sitting on a bench set on one side of playground for parents to sit while they watched their children play. Those golden eyes blinked and looked up in surprise.

Watanuki sped through the park to the bench, jumping over everything in his way instead of going around. By the time he reached the boy, he had collapsed onto his knees in front of him. He couldn't even speak anymore, so exhausted. He was out of practice from all the kinds of running he needed, and even if he was still used to running from spirits, those were sprints not really long running like he'd been doing.

"What are you doing here, Watanuki?"

"What about you?!" he demanded in return, wiping sweat off his face with the back of his hand. "You weren't in school."

Doumeki looked away and shrugged. "I was thinking about going to your apartment to grab my stuff."

He froze and looked up slowly. "Why?"

Those golden eyes blinked and looked down again. The expressionless face was somehow so expressive, telling him without words why. Because he had nearly rejected Doumeki; because to Doumeki, he had been rejected. His hands shook as he pushed himself to his feet only to lean down and press his lips against that of his rival's.

The kiss wasn't long or really passionate. It was merely a chaste, shy touching of lips. When he pulled away, he blinked. There had been no flashing of lights or pretty sparkler like effects. Just one second of a opening and closing of an eye and suddenly there was a boy where the girl was.

"You really do look better as a boy."

Doumeki didn't ask why, or even ask him to say anything. He merely smiled faintly, in that sexy way he had when only one side of his mouth quirked up and it made him look so roguish. He stood slowly and before Watanuki knew it, those lips were on his again, but this time it was a full kiss, including that skillful tongue invading his mouth.

"Doumeki?" he muttered in question when the kiss ended.

"Shizuka, Kimihiro."

Watanuki blushed deeply, but his own challenging grin touched his lips. "I'm still your rival, you know."

For the first time since they'd met, he heard Doumeki laugh and he wondered why he didn't do it more often. It was deep-throated and comforting, warm like his arms felt and safe. Maybe it was so special since Doumeki didn't do it all that often and why Watanuki suddenly wanted to always hear it.

"Oh my god…" he muttered when it hit him.

"What is it?" his now-boyfriend asked, squirming around until he managed to pull off his mother's bra and sticking it into his bag with a sigh of relief.

"I just…ran out of school…in the middle of the day…" He groaned and slapped his forehead. "You're such a bad influence on me!" He leveled a glance at Doumeki behind his hand and turned away with a deep blush, but content smile.

An arm wrapped around his waist and he blinked, glancing up at Doumeki. The now-boy grinned and nuzzled his ear, leaving a kiss on his neck, before guiding him back toward their apartment. It had become their apartment.

"Don't worry, one day won't matter in the scheme of things."

"You're such a bad influence."

Doumeki grinned a little. "Yup."

"Well that wasn't _exactly_ what I was hoping for," Himawari Kunogi muttered as she watched the two boys through Yuuko's basin. "I was hoping that he'd wait until night to confess his feelings. It would have been so much more romantic."

"Did you honestly expect him to wait?" the Dimensional Witch asked, sipping her sake and reclining in her favorite chair. "What Watanuki does best is panic."

Himawari giggled at Yuuko and watched as the door closed to the apartment, splashing her hand in the water to clear it of the reflection. Yuuko blinked and leaned forward, only seeing the bottom of the basin in the water. Her grin became lecherous as she turned to her companion. "What, you didn't want to see them? You know what they would be doing."

"Oh, I doubt they'll be doing _that_ so soon, Yuuko dear," she told her with a laugh. "Not with how shy Watanuki generally is."

"Shy? That boy?"

"You don't know him like I do."

Yuuko laughed. "I suppose I don't." She paused and studied the powerful sorceress who looked no older than the sixteen year old she represented as Watanuki's classmate. "Would you really have left Doumeki Shizuka as a girl if Watanuki hadn't expressed his feelings in time?" There was no doubt in either of them that there hadn't been an option of Watanuki _not_ in love with Doumeki.

"I don't know," she told Yuuko honestly, straightening her loose and fashionable kimono.

"You know you wouldn't have," she needled.

A faint blush came to the girl's cheeks and she laughed, somewhat self-consciously. "All right, I probably wouldn't have, if you want to push."

"That's what makes us different, love," the witch told her before crooking her finger in a 'come hither' motion. "But now that _they're_ happily occupied…my bed beckons."

Himawari kissed Yuuko long and slow before standing and winking. "I daresay it does," she teased, letting her shoulder fall bare of the kimono and heading down the hall to where Yuuko's bedroom was.

The smile that Yuuko wore was nothing short of smug and she stood, turning to Maru and Moro, leaving strict instructions to not be disturbed, even if Watanuki came by later in the day to work. And unlike what her lovely Himawari thought, she had little doubt that Doumeki was currently engaged in _proving_ his love to Watanuki.

" _Hitsuzen_ ," she murmured.

"Yuuko, are you coming dear? I'm ready for you…"

That seductive tone of voice sent shivers of anticipation down the witch's spine and without further ado, she was down the hall and closing the bedroom door behind her.


End file.
